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Article posted: 1/6/2013 5:55 AM

What are the ethics of collecting plants and wildlife

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People have been known to take turtles from the wild. It's never a good idea, says naturalist Valerie Blaine. Shown is a Blanding's Turtle, an endangered species, at the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton.

Courtesy of the Wheaton Park District ¬

Removing plants from the forest preserves can upset the delicate balance of ecology. Shown are wildflowers in winter at Johnson's Mound Forest Preserve in Elburn.

Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer ¬

Butterflies never fare well if collected by humans. It's best to leave them in their habitat.

Rick West | Staff Photographer ¬

They're beautiful — but leave them where they are. Wildflowers and other plants should not be collected from forest preserves, says naturalist Valerie Blaine.

Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer ¬

Fallen leaves are one of the few things it's OK to collect from forest preserves.

Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer ¬

Even acorns shouldn't be removed from forest preserves and conservation districts.

GEORGE LECLAIRE | Staff Photographer

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Although garlic mustard is an invasive species most forest preserve officials would like to see diminished, don't collect it on your own. It's best to remove it by joining a district-organized volunteer program.

Brian Hill | Staff Photographer ¬

About this Article

This month, a familiar question came up about collecting in forest preserves. A visitor to the nature center had read that some native plants could be used as medicine, and wondered where he could get some of these plants. The answer? Not in the forest preserves.
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    • People have been known to take turtles from the wild. It’s never a good idea, says naturalist Valerie Blaine. Shown is a Blanding’s Turtle, an endangered species, at the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton.
    • Removing plants from the forest preserves can upset the delicate balance of ecology. Shown are wildflowers in winter at Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve in Elburn.
    • Butterflies never fare well if collected by humans. It’s best to leave them in their habitat.
    • They’re beautiful — but leave them where they are. Wildflowers and other plants should not be collected from forest preserves, says naturalist Valerie Blaine.
    • Fallen leaves are one of the few things it’s OK to collect from forest preserves.
    • Even acorns shouldn’t be removed from forest preserves and conservation districts.
    • Although garlic mustard is an invasive species most forest preserve officials would like to see diminished, don’t collect it on your own. It’s best to remove it by joining a district-organized volunteer program.
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